Ali Angel makes the kind of music that could soundtrack a roadtrip of self-discovery, the honeymoon infatuation period, your greatest love story, or maybe a bit of all three. The LA-based artist creates vulnerable, soul-bearing music against sprawling musical arrangements that traverses genres, from alternative country and bluesy rock, to retro-soul and Americana folk. Boasting an ever-evolving sound that showcases the storytelling prowess of Jade Bird, the raucous pipes of Sheryl Crow, and the shimmering instrumentals of Haim, Angel has been spotlighted as one to watch for her powerful melodies and razor-sharp songwriting.
With her self-titled debut EP on the way soon (which we’ve been lucky enough to have an exclusive listen to), we caught up with the rising singer to hear about what inspires her songwriting, being an LGBT musician moving within the country scene, and her biggest musical influences. “I think of it just as a taste of me,” she says of the forthcoming EP, “an appetizer or introduction into who I am as an artist, both sonically and thematically.”
Check out LA Wire’s interview with Ali Angel below.
How did you first discover your sound when starting out in music?
Trial and error! I think it takes lots of writing, practice, re-writing, and evolution to finally get to a place where you feel like you’re writing and creating the work that you feel and want to be “your sound.” It doesn’t just come right away. I also think it depends on your musical exposure — what I’m listening to for inspiration over and over again heavily influences my writing and production direction, as well as finding the right people to work with who bring that out in you or understand what you’re going for. I listen to a ton of retro-soul and indie alt-Nashville artists, and that heavily influenced this EP. I think when people start to compare your sound, and tell you your music reminds you of the same people who influenced you, that’s when you know that you’re getting to where you want to be.
You said you want to inspire listeners with “vulnerable, authentic and uplifting” music. What kind of experiences have you drawn upon in your debut EP to do that?
Vulnerability definitely came with the song “Loving You Lately.” It tells the story of my first real love and serious relationship that gave me the chance to open up and be completely myself in the most intimate way with the person I loved. It was scary and real, but something I think everybody experiences. My direction for this EP was very much guided by trying to achieve that soulful, classic, retro sound to establish my style, as opposed to being a thematic project. I’ve always been drawn more to catchy, uplifting feel-good vibrations and music, and I wanted my debut project to showcase my optimistic, sunny-side up perspectives and also bring the fun! It’s inspired by various relationships, flings, and daydreams during COVID-19.
How do you think being a vulnerable songwriter helps connect with listeners?
I think being an artist is ultimately the most vulnerable job — you’re sharing and exposing your truths and creations to the world — we write out our problems, feelings, and stories in these pieces for anybody to judge, consume, and react to. It takes a lot of bravery to do that! I think people need to hear that others are going through the same experiences in their art because we’re all looking for those outlets and invisible strings of attachment that connect us to the world through our shared emotions and stories.
What overarching themes did you want to explore on the project?
With this project, my goal was to establish my dynamic and classic sound more than anything — my love for soulful Motown horn arrangements and strings, playful guitars and bass lines, and a dynamic vocal style. I think it really showcases my personality in a lot of ways — sweet, but spicy, honest, vulnerable, and fun. I think of it just as a taste of me, an appetizer or introduction into who I am as an artist, both sonically and thematically. It also showcases my ability to play with so many genres and styles. I really just want people to hear the project and be excited and on board for what’s to come.
Country and folk is sometimes seen as being a bit old school. What is it like being an LGBT musician who moves in these scenes?
It is old school in a lot of ways, for sure, but there’s a huge space blossoming in country and Americana that is alternative, queer, progressive and genre-blending, including people like Brandi Carlile, Amythst Kiah, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, and so many more. I think now more than ever, country is blossoming and becoming so multifaceted because of my generation. I love that my music can blend into the Nashville sound, but also stand on its own for listeners who don’t necessarily enjoy country. I want to be able to walk that line continuously in my career.
There’s definitely shades of Sheryl Crow on the EP. Was she a big influence, and who else inspires you musically?
Ah, yes! She’s a huge inspiration for me, and I get told that a lot. I also get Susan Tedeschi and Bonnie Raitt a lot from listeners, both of whom I also love. I’m inspired by so many people. Current inspirations are Jillette Johnson, Lola Kirke, Theo Lawrence, Maggie Rogers, The Criticals. Constant sources of inspiration are people like Prince and Dan Auerbach, but there’s too many to name them all!
How did you go about composing the melodies on the EP?
I write melody and lyrics simultaneously and I start compositions on guitar, except for, “Loving You Lately.” I initially wrote that one on piano and brought it to my co-producer (Andrew Weitz) for just that one song, who re-worked the melody with me. In terms of composition and production with all the other aspects, I’m always involved. I like to have as much of a say in every piece as I can and consider myself the co-producer for all of my records, even if I’m not the one technically clicking the buttons. We came up with drums, bass, and overall arrangement for most of these songs as a band. Then, in production, Oliver Roman [lead guitarist/producer/mixer] and I go in-depth in terms of writing the horn arrangements, effects, guitar solos and licks, bells, key melodies, and comping the parts. I’ve gotten more involved in helping to choose drum patterns, bass, and guitar lines with each song off the record because I’ve gotten more knowledgeable, confident in my capabilities as a producer, and realize that I trust my ear the most when it comes to my stuff.
You’ve also said that Jade Bird and Haim are inspiring you at the moment. Are you inspired by artists that push the boundaries of genres and don’t allow themselves to be boxed in?
I absolutely love both of them so much! Badass female musicians who are super authentic, playful, and don’t take themselves too seriously — except in the workplace — are huge inspirations. I’m all about pushing boundaries with genres. I think it’s a natural part of evolution as an artist and discovery. We’re constantly reinventing our sound, expanding it, and experimenting, and I love that they do this.
How does your music resonate with an LA audience? Do you feel like your sound is a little more unusual in the music scene there?
I think my sound blends in well in LA, but also has a bit more of that twangy Nashville sound. I’ve found a new favorite venue at The Desert 5 Spot that is kind of like a Joshua Tree meets Nashville meets LA retro-country place, and have met some other awesome LA artists that also blend in with this vibe. There’s honestly every kind of artist in this town; however, I do feel that my stuff would be wonderful in the Nashville scene and would love to book some shows down there soon.
What’s it like working as an independent artist in LA? There seems to be more of a viable market for even very established artists to do this now.
It’s hard! It takes constant commitment and social media upkeep — consistently releasing music, content, engaging fans online and at shows is the only way to gain traction. It also takes self-motivation to keep going and pushing yourself. It also takes losing your ego and sense of care for what other people think. Self-promotion is just the name of the game, and you have to get over the “cringe” or discomfort you feel about posting and promoting. Who cares what people think? You’re mostly going to receive the positive feedback, new fans, and traction from posting anyways, as opposed to hearing what people are negatively saying about it, so do you and just have fun with it!
You can keep up with Ali Angel on Instagram.